Arm rest for motor vehicles



Sept23,1941. A. P. FALL 2,256,944

ARM-REST FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed April 18, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept.23, 1941. A. P. FALL ARM REST FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed April 18, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARMnns'r 1:31:33? VEHICLES Albert I. Fall, \Toledo, Ohio Application April18, 55112) 0.

7 Claims.

tion, Serial Number 213,915, filed June 15, 1938,,

for Arm rest for motor vehicles.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of an arm restcomprising a bracket for detachable engagement with the back of a motorvehicle seat and an arm support adjustably connected with the bracket insuch manner that it. is locked in any desired adjusted position throughweight imposed upon the support, as by an arm resting thereon.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an arm rest, whichcomprises a bracket for detachable engagement with the back of a motorvehicle seat and an arm support having a hinge connection with thebracket, the hinge connection providing for vertical adjustment of thesupport on the bracket and serving to lock the support in any adjustedposition through weight of an arm on the support.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an arm restof the above-noted character, which is simple and durable inconstruction, adaptable to ready positioning on a motor vehicle seat inany desired position, capable of ready adjustment for maximum comfort insupporting an arm, capable of being swing to an inoperative position,and which is capable of manufacture and sale at relatively low cost.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and objects of theinvention, reference will be had to the following detailed description,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: I i

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion ofthe interior of a motorvehicle disclosing an opera-' tive association of my improved arm restwith the motor vehicle seat;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the improved arm rest in accordance with apreferred embodiment thereof; I I

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of same on an enlarged scale and beingpartially broken away;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section in a plane sub- ;tianiially asrepresented by the line 8-6 in Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 anddepicting a modified constructio Fig. -8 is a fragmented view partiallyin elevation and partially in vertical section showing one of the hingeplates and its connection with one side of the bracket;

Fig. 9 is a view-partially in top plan and partially in horizontalsection depicting a still further embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 10 is a broken side elevational view of the constructionillustrated in Fig. 9.

Referring now in detail to the drawings by reference characters, andreferring first to the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6,

inclusive, I0 designates a bracket, which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, isof closed loop form and is preferably constructed from relatively heavygauge wire. The bracket, as viewed inFig. 2, comprises laterally spaced,upwardly diverging arms II, which are curved-as indicated in Fig. 1 forconformity with the back of the seat 8 and which, at their upper ends,are of hook form for engagement with the top of the seat back, the saidupper ends merging into a transverse connecting, portion l2. The arms IIare yieldable and are connected at their lower ends by a transverseconnecting portion l3.

An arm support 14 is hingedly and.adjustably connected with the bracketIt in a manner about to be described. The support it comprises a basemember l5 which, for economy in manufacture,

I present nothing novel in the present invention,

Fig. 4 is an interior view of the improved hinge forming the connectionbetween the bracket and support of the arm rest;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental vertical section in a plane substantially asrepresented by the line 5-5 in Fig. 3 and disclosing a preferredconnection of the hinge with the support;

is preferably constructed from wood and is in the form of a rectangularplate, as indicated. The base member is preferably upholstered, asindicated in Figs. 1 and 2, to provide maximum comfort to an arm restingthereon.

The bracket l0 and support M are preferably of the constructiondisclosed inmy co-pending application above referred to and inthemselves the novelty residing in the connection between the bracket l0and support It.

Such connection is in the form of a hinge 16, illustrated in detail inFigs. 3 and 4, the hinge comprising the plates I1 and i8 hingedlyconnected at l9.

- The plate I! maybe .pressed out, as at 20, for reinforcing same and isprovided with a pair of apertures: 2| to receive'screws for securing thehinge to the support base member IS.

The base member I5 is preferably constructed similarly to that in myaforesaid co-pending application for receiving the hinge-securing screws22, such construction embodying a pair of laterally spaced horizontalbores 23, each of which is intersected by a vertical bore 24 of somewhatgreater diameter, the bores 24 extending only partially through the basemember l from the top thereof. A nut 23 is frictionally seated in eachbore 24 with its internally threaded aperture in axial alignment withthe bore 23 for receiving the screw 22. The bores 24 may, if desired, beclosed, as by pouring molten. lead, solder, or the like thereinto.However, they may be left as indicated in Fig. 5, inasmuch as theupholstery will cover same.

Thus, the hinge plate I1 is connected by a pair of screws 22 to the basemember l5 cated in Fig. 3,

l3 normally lying substantially parallel with the plate l1.

The plate It is provided at opposite sides thereof with inwardly curvedportions forming substantially semi-circular guide channels 26 forslidable engagement of the bracket arms ii there. in, as is more clearlyindicated in Fig. 6.

The screws 22 in this embodiment of the invention are each provided witha tapered or frusto-conical head 21 and such heads are so disposed as toexert a wedgingv action on the arms ll upon closing of the hinge aseffected by downward pressure on the base member i5, indicated by thearrow A in Fig. 3, whereby the arms are frictionally engaged between thewalls-of the guide channels 26 and the contacting portions of heads 21and the-base member vi5-is locked against movement vertically. of thebracket 'the desired adjustment is made, pressure upon the support 14,as by resting an arm thereon, will automatically lock the support insuch adjusted position, due to the wedging action of the screw heads 21.

The improved hinge not only provides for this novel adjustment butprovides for swinging the withthe plate substantially verticallydisposed, as indithe hinge connection l9 being The hinge plate It, inthe first form of the invention, may be provided with the slots 32, asindicated in Figs, 2 and 4, whereby the same hinge may be used with thescrews 22 or the spring 30.

Upon downward pressure on the base member ii, the spring 30 will becompressed between the hinge plates i1 and IS, with the result that theversely bent at each side thereof, providing integralwe'dging surfaces34, which function in sub- '1 stantlaily the same manner as the screwheads 21 at the top of the hinge and the other hinge plate and spring30.

The plates l1 and I8 of the box-type hinge are pivotally connected by apin 35 extending through flanges i1 and i8 on the upper ends of platesI1 and 18, the plate I'l having a top The wedging surfaces 34 are notconfined to the box-type hinge, but may be used with the form of hingedisclosed in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive.

Furthermore, a box-type hinge may be used with the screws 22 or spring30.

It will be readily appreciated from the fore.- going disclosure that anarm rest is provided by the present invention which substantiallyfulfills the maximum requirements of devices of this character in thatthe rest, as a whole, is capable of being readily positioned at anydesirable location on a motor vehicle seat, the arm support is pivotallyconnected with the bracket whereby it may readily be swung to anout-of-the-way position, and the hinge connection between the supportand bracket provides a readily adjustable connection and the support isautomatically locked in any desired adjusted position through the weightof an arm resting thereon.

While I have disclosed certain specific embodiments of my invention,same are to be considered as illustrative only, and not restrictive, thescope support i4 upwardly into substantial parallelism with the bracketarms II when its use as a rest is not desired, or when an occupantdesires to shift his position lengthwise of the seat without thenecessity of completely removing the rest from the seat. However, thehooked upper end of the bracket l0 permits same'to'be readily shiftedlengthwise of the seat or to be entirely removed therefrom.

In accordance with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs.7 and 8, the hinge plate I1 is secured to the base. member l5 by thehinge plates I1 and I3, the free ends of the spring bearing against thearms -II and having lugs 3| slidably received in slots 32in the hingeplate l3, the lugs being headed as at 3| to maintain the spring inoperative position.

of the invention being defined in the subjoined claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is! 1.An arm rest comprising a bracket and an arm support, the bracketcomprising a pair of yieldable arms, a hinge comprising a pair of platesone of which is secured to the support and the other of which isprovided with a pair of v guide channels receiving said arms for slidingsaid support on said bracket for vertically adjusting same, and means.interposed between the plates for wedging the arms outwardly intofrictional contact with the walls of said guidewaysupon closing saidplates as induced by the weight of an arm on 'said support for: lockingsame in adjusted position.

2. The. structure defined in claim 1, wherein said means comprise a pairof frusto-conical heads on screws securing saidflrst plate to thesupport.

- 3. The structure defined inclaim 1, wherein said means comprise abowed leaf spring having its opposed ends slidably connected with one ofi said plates for pressure engagement of said ends with said arms uponcompression of the spring between the plates. v w

4. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said means compriseportions providing a pair of wedging sin-faces on the first-named plate.

5. An arm rest comprising a bracket and an arm support, the bracketincluding a pair of spaced flexible arms, a hinge connection between thebracket and support and including guide channels receiving the arms foradjustable movement of the support lengthwise of the arms, and meansdisposed between the arms and operative by hinging movement of thesupport as induced by weight of an arm thereon for forcing.

said arms in opposite directions into frictional locking engagement withsaid guide channels.

6. An arm rest comprising a bracket and an arm support, the bracketincluding a pair of spaced flexible arms having means for substantiallyvertical suspension thereof from a support, a plate having guidechannels opening toward each other and receiving said arms foradjustable movement of the plate lengthwise of the arms, a hingeconnection between the arm support and plate for movement of the armsupport into substantially horizontal operativeposition or intoinoperative position substantially parallel with the arms, and meansengageable with the inner sides of the arms and operative to force thearms apart into frictional locking engagement with the guide channelsupon hinging movement of the arm support into operative position.

ALBERT P. FALL.

